FLINT, MI – Flint’s First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church is hosting a national search for a new pastor following the March 2012 death of its previous pastor, the Rev. Dr. F.O. Hockenhull.

Hockenhull was one of the longest-tenured Flint pastors, presiding over First Trinity for close to 43 years before he died after a long stay in the hospital.

The search, which began in September 2012, has already garnered more than 75 applicants nationwide said Dr. Zelton Johnson, the chairman of First Trinity’s search committee.

“The timeline for finding the right person for the position is open, but we’re narrowing down the applicants,” Johnson said.

“We’ve developed a list of criteria and applied the criteria to the applicants. From there, it’s easy to narrow down the list.”

The church, which has about 150 members, advertised the search on a national Baptist website where people were able to access the opening from all over the country.

Dec. Floyd Burns, who has been with the First Trinity since Hockenhull became the pastor in 1969, said that the church has been frequently hosting guest pastors during the search.

Johnson said that the church committee has not put a date on naming the pastor and that the search will continue until the board and the congregation can agree upon the right person for the job.

“We’re looking for a God-called preacher,” Burns said. “It’s just something we’ve got to learn how to live with. We’ve got to learn a new preacher and a new preacher has to learn us. When the good Lord sends us the right person, we’ll know.”